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September 08, 2018

August 2018 Current Affairs Important Highlights (One-Liners)

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Friends, here are the Major Current Affairs Highlights of August 2018. These one-liners cover all important International, National, MOUs, Indexes, Banking, Technology, Books & Authors, Committees and Sports affairs of August month (from 1st to 31st August 2018). You will get pdf versoin of this list by this evening. All the Best and Happy Reading :)

August 2018 Current Affairs Highlights (One-Liners) 

  • 12th August 2018 was observed as International Youth Day with the theme "Safe Spaces for Youth".
  • 1st ‘Nepal-India Think Tank’ Summit was recently held in Kathmandu, Nepal. Aim of this Summit : To foster greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the think tanks of the two countries. 
  • 2019 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships will be held in North Korean capital Pyongyang.
  • 3rd India-Nepal Coordination meeting was held at New Delhi.
  • 4th edition of Asian electoral stakeholders forum (AESF-IV) held in Colombo (Sri Lanka), to discuss state of elections and democracy in region. Theme of AESF-IV : Advancing Election Transparency and Integrity: Promoting and Defending Democracy Together.
  • 4th National Handloom Day was observed on 7th August 2018.
  • 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-51) was recently held at Singapore. This meeting was chaired by Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan. [ASEAN - Association of South East Asian Nations].
  • 73rd anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing was observed on 6th August 2018.
  • 9th August 2018 was observed as International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples with the theme “Indigenous peoples’ migration and movement”.
  • A National registry of sex offenders will be launched in September 2018. This registry will help law-enforcement agencies to identify repeat offenders and make people aware of those involved in sex crimes.
  • A recent report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, has called for different weightage to different sectors of the industry by credit rating agencies, to ensure that banks don't deprive the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) of credit. Head of this Committee : Naresh Gujral (Shiromani Akali Dal leader).
  • Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI (Unique Identity Authority of India) has announced phased roll-out of face recognition for carrying out Aadhaar authentication from September 15, 2018 as additional security layer.
  • According to a recently released RBI survey, 4 States Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu together received nearly 60% of the total remittances in 2016-17. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as the top source of remittances with a share of 26.9%, followed by the United States (22.9%), Saudi Arabia (11.6%), Qatar (6.5%) and Kuwait (5.5%).
  • According to International Monetary Fund (IMF), Macau in China would overtake oil-rich Qatar with highest per-capita gross domestic product of any country or jurisdiction on earth, by 2020.
  • According to National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development’s (NABARD) All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey 2016-17, Agriculture (farming) generates only 23% of rural income i.e. not even quarter of rural household incomes in India.
  • According to SBI report named Ecowrap, current account deficit of India will rise to 2.8% of the GDP in current financial year, due to rise in oil prices and moderate growth in exports.
  • After scoring 200 runs in the first Test against England, Indian captain Virat Kohli became the 1st Indian to top the ICC Test batsmen rankings since Sachin Tendulkar, who last topped the rankings in 2011. 
  • Allahabad Bank's MD and CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian was fired on her last day in office, in relation to the PNB scam.
  • American motorcycle maker  Harley-Davidson announced that it is going to launch its first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire, in 2019.
  • American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation, PepsiCo announced that it's first female CEO Indra Nooyi will step down after 12 years. President Ramon Laguarta is going to replace her as the new CEO. 
  • American multinational technology company, Apple became the world’s first trillion-dollar public company.
  • American retail chain Walmart announced it has completed the $16 billion deal to buy a 77% stake in e-commerce startup Flipkart. 
  • Amid an economic crisis, Argentina's central bank has raised its benchmark interest rate by 15 percentage points to 60%. This is the highest in the world.
  • Andhra Bank raises MCLR (Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate) by 0.15% for various tenors.
  • Andhra Pradesh Government has approved an unemployment allowance scheme titled 'Mukhyamantri Yuva Nestam'. The scheme aims to provide Rs 1000 per month unemployed youth in the state.
  • Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi became the most decorated player in Barcelona's history, by winning his 33rd trophy for the club as defending La Liga champions beat Sevilla to win their 13th Spanish Super Cup .
  • Argentinian lawmakers voted against a bill to Legalise elective Abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Argentina currently allows abortion only in cases of rape or risks to a woman's health.
  • As part of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) initiatives, SCO Peace Mission Exercise 2018 was conducted by by Central Military Commission of Russia from 22nd August to 29 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
  • As per consolidated FDI Policy, 2017, the Government has allowed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 100% under automatic route in the Educational institutions subject to applicable laws/sectoral rules/regulations/ security conditions.
  • Australia has resumed the adoption of children from India after 8 years.
  • Axis Securities launched commodity broking services with MCX and became the first bank subsidiary to enter commodity broking business. 
  • Bangladesh's Cabinet approved a new road safety law promising to consider death penalty for deliberately causing accidents. The maximum jail time for rash driving deaths has been raised to 5 years from three.
  • Bengaluru-based e-commerce startup Flipkart shut down eBay India, more than a year after acquiring it.
  • Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) beyond the 12th five year plan period. The target of connecting 1,78,184 eligible habitations under PMGSY was expected to be completed by March 2019.
  • China has launched a new generation supercomputer prototype Sunway that can execute a quintillion (a thousand raised to the power of six) calculations per second.
  • China has proposed to conduct military drills with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members in the South China Sea. The country also proposed undertaking joint oil and gas exploration in the sea.
  • China launched Gaofen-11, an optical remote sensing satellite which will be used to monitor its Belt and Road Initiative.
  • Chinese President Xi Jinping is going to visit North Korea next month at the invitation of leader Kim Jong-un to attend the 70th Anniversary Celebrations of the nation's founding.
  • Computer scientists from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras have developed first of a family of six industry-standard microprocessors under Project Shakti.
  • Digital payments major Paytm announced it had acquired Bengaluru-based savings management start-up, Balance Technology for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition will help One97 Communications, which operates the Paytm brand, in further enhancing its user and merchant interface.
  • e-Commerce Firm Flipkart unveiled a dedicated portal titled ‘2Gud‘ for refurbished goods, including mobile phones, laptops and tablets. 
  • Elon Musk-led space startup SpaceX is going to launch its biggest batch of more than 70 satellites into orbit aboard its Falcon 9 rocket later this year. Dubbed the SSO-A mission, the payload includes 15 larger microsatellites and 56 smaller standardised satellites known as CubeSats.
  • England defeated India by 31 runs in the first Test at Edgbaston to mark their landmark 1,000th Test with a victory and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. 
  • England have become the 1st-ever team to feature in 1,000 Test matches, achieving the feat after taking the field against India at Edgbaston. England are followed by Australia, who have played 812 Test matches.
  • Facebook has won the rights to show Spanish top-flight soccer league in the Indian subcontinent. The company has signed an agreement to show the 'La Liga' games free of charge for the next three years.
  • Ferrari's Racer Sebastian Vettel (Germany) won F1 Belgian Grand Prix.
  • For the first time in the event's history, Facial recognition software is set to be used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The system, provided by Japanese company NEC, will be used to identify over 300,000 people including athletes, volunteers, and media.
  • Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak charged for money laundering.
  • Former President Pranab Mukherjee launched National Electoral Transformation (NETA) mobile application. This application allows voters to rate and review their political representatives.
  • France passed a law banning Smartphones, Tablets and other Internet-Enabled Devices in Schools.
  • French company IDEMIA, a global leader in augmented identity, has become the first company to be given the certification to manufacture and personalise RuPay chip contact and contactless cards on the qSPARC v2 platform.
  • Gibraltar-based club Gibraltar United is set to become the 1st ever football club to pay its players in cryptocurrency.
  • Google announced 'Pie' as the name for the latest version of the Android operating system, succeeding Android Oreo.
  • Government launched National REDD+ Strategy to improve livelihood of forest dependent population. Aim of REDD+ : To achieve climate change mitigation by incentivizing forest conservation.
  • HDFC Bank announced that its Deputy Managing Director Paresh Sukthankar has resigned and will vacate his post in 90 days. 
  • HDFC Life Insurance Company inked an agreement with Vijaya Bank to tap customers of the state-owned lender.
  • Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched ‘Horn not ok’ awareness campaign and ‘Shaur nahin’ (no noise) mobile application in state capital Shimla.
  • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) become 1st public sector enterprise to make a transaction on the “TReDS platform”, an online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating financing of trade receivables of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) through multiple financiers. 
  • HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar launched 3rd edition of World’s Biggest Open Innovation Model - ‘Smart India Hackathon- 2019 (SIH 2019)’. .
  • In a bid to end the taxi issue in Goa, the state government has launched its own app-based taxi service titled 'GoaMiles'.
  • In an attempt to help students "befriend" the English language, the Haryana government has launched the 'I am not afraid of English' campaign in primary schools in the state.
  • In its 3rd bi-monthly monetary policy review, the monetary policy committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiked Repo rate by 25 bps for the second time in a row to 6.5%.
  • In it's recent report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected India’s GDP growth 7.3% in the 2018-19 fiscal and 7.5% in 2019-2020 on strengthening of investment and robust private consumption. 
  • In order to curb fake news, WhatsApp started rolling out the limit of forwarding messages, photos and videos to only 5 chats at one time in India.
  • India and China have agreed to expand military cooperation and implement confidence building measures to maintain peace.
  • India and European Union (EU) partnered for Rs. 240 crore research programme to develop a Next Generation Influenza Vaccine to protect people throughout world, through “Horizon 2020” programme. It require 3 applicants from both 3 European member states and India.
  • India and Myanmar executed the landmark Land Border Crossing Agreement. Under this agreement check points on both sides are included as part of the pact.
  • India and Pakistan are for the first time taking part in a counter-terrorism drill SCO Peace Mission Exercise 2018 organised by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). 
  • India and Singapore signed a second protocol amending the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) to boost trade ties.
  • India has become the 3rd Asian Nation after Japan and South Korea, and 37th overall, to get the Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) status from the United States. It paves way for high-technology product sales to New Delhi, particularly in civil space and defence sectors.
  • India has been elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) for a period of two years. F. Sheheryar (Director General of All India Radio) was re-elected as Chair of the executive board while Sri Lanka was elected as vice-chair.
  • India has released additional Rs. 470 million (Nepali) for Phase I of Postal Highway Project being constructed in Southern Plains of Nepal.
  • India signed $220 million Loan Agreement and a $80 million Guarantee Agreement with World Bank, for India Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program, to be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
  • India signed $346 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance improvement of over 400 kilometers of state highways that will enhance connectivity and access to economic centers across 12 districts in Kamataka.
  • India signed a $375 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB), to contribute to double farming incomes in Madhya Pradesh by expanding irrigation networks and system efficiency.
  • Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar won his 1st title on the European Tour in the form of the Fiji International championship, almost 12 years after turning a professional golfer.
  • Indian professional badminton player, Saina Nehwal has become the 1st Woman shuttler to reach Badminton World Championships' quarter-finals for the 8th straight edition.
  • Indian Railways signed MoU with GAIL India, to replace Industrial gases like Dissolved Acetylene, LPG, BMCG and Furnace Oil / High Speed Diesel (HSD) oil with environment friendly Natural Gas.
  • Indian skipper Virat Kohli overtook England's Jonny Bairstow to become the highest run-scorer of the year 2018 in international cricket.
  • Indian Teen cyclist Esow Alben (17) created history by winning Silver Medal in the Men's Keirin event of the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Aigle, Switzerland. 
  • Indian women's cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana has become the second Indian cricketer to smash a hundred in women's T20 cricket. First cricketer was Mithali Raj (for Railways in 2017)
  • Indian-origin U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams is among the 9 astronauts named by NASA for its 1st spaceflight programme using US-made commercial spacecraft developed by SpaceX and Boeing.
  • India's 3rd largest private-sector bank, Axis Bank became 1st bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan Authentication feature for Aadhaar-based transactions through its micro ATM tablets.
  • India's ace badminton player P V Sindhu won the Silver medal at the Badminton World Championships 2018 for the second straight year.
  • India's first Commonwealth Games gold-winner in the javelin throw, Neeraj Chopra, led the 572-athlete-strong Indian contingent at the Asian Games' opening ceremony.
  • India's Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha clincked his maiden Singles title in the $25,000 men's tennis event of 2018 ITF Men's Circuit (July–September) held at Jakarta, Indonesia. The doubles title was won by Justin Barki (Indonesia) and Christopher Rungkat (Indonesia).
  • Insurance regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) notified insurance companies asking them to cover medical treatment for mental illnesses on the same basis as it is available for treatment of physical illnesses. This order comes three months after the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 came into force on May 29.
  • Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange, has announced it is launching a new company 'Bakkt', which aims to "create an open and regulated, global ecosystem for digital assets".
  • Iran and Syria have signed a deal to expand military cooperation after Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami's visit to the country. 
  • Iran has unveiled Fateh Mobin (Bright Conqueror) next generation short-range ballistic missile capable of striking targets on land and sea.
  • Iran unveiled the next-generation of its 'Fateh' short-range ballistic missile amid ongoing tensions with the US.
  • Jammu will be the 1st city in north India to get a full-fledged space technology research centre devoted to research, academics and post-graduation degree course.
  • Japan won its first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title, held in France, by defeating Spain in finals.
  • Japanese humanoid roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro has unveiled an android robot called 'Ibuki' which is modelled on a 10-year-old child. The robot has complete vision routes that can scan for faces and 'involuntary' motions like blinking and head bobs.
  • Joint military exercise Maitree 2018 between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army was held in Thailand from 6 to 19 August 2018. Maitree 2018 was platoon level exercise that comprises of infantry component.
  • Kadaknath chicken meat from Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh has received Geographical Indication (GI) tag in “Meat Product, Poultry & Poultry Meat” category. 
  • Kerala's Nihal Sarin has become India's 53rd Grandmaster after attaining his third and final GM-Norm by drawing in the eighth round of Abu Dhabi Masters against Uzbekistan's Temur Kuybokarov.
  • Kolkata-based Bandhan Bank became India's 7th most valued listed lender, surpassing Yes Bank. HDFC Bank Ltd remained India’s most valuable bank followed by State Bank of India (SBI) and Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.
  • Lok Sabha has passed National Sports University Bill, 2018 by voice vote to set up India’s first National Sports University in Imphal (west), Manipur.
  • Lok Sabha has passed Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by voice vote to extend the facility of ‘proxy voting’ to overseas Indians, on the lines of service voters.
  • Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra) has become the wettest place in India this year, leaving behind Meghalaya's Cherrapunji. 
  • Manchester City midfielder 32 year old David Silva announced his retirement from international football.
  • Mughalsarai Junction railway station (Uttar Pradesh) formally renamed as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar Junction railway station  after RSS ideologue Deen Dayal Uphadyay.
  • Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) became the 1st Indian company to hit ₹8 trillion in market capitalisation after its stock rallied 1.31% to hit a record high of ₹1262.50. 
  • Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries has jumped 55 places to be ranked at 148th on the Fortune Global 500 list of the world's biggest companies by revenue. State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is the top-ranked Indian company at 137.
  • Mukesh Ambani-led telecom company Reliance Jio secured the top spot in Fortune's global 'Change the World' list 2018. American pharma company Merck ranked second while Bank of America ranked third on the list.
  • Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. "
  • Neeraj Chopra, the 1st-ever Indian to win Gold Medal in javelin throw at Commonwealth Games, has been chosen as India's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games 2018.
  • Netherlands has been crowned the world champions for a record eighth time in 14th edition of Women's Hockey World Cup 2018 by defeating Ireland.
  • New Zealand's parliament passed a bill banning the sale of existing homes to foreign buyers.
  • NITI Aayog has launched Global mobility hackathon Move Hack to crowdsource solutions aimed at future of mobility in India. It is envisaged as one of largest hackathons globally. Move Hack aims to bring about innovative, dynamic and scalable solutions to problems pertaining to mobility.
  • On the occasion of World Biofuel Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a Single-Window Integrated Environmental Management System, titled PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub).
  • Operation “Madad” has been launched by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi for assisting the state administration and undertaking disaster relief operations due to the unprecedented flooding experienced in many parts of Kerala, owing to incessant rainfall and release of excess water from Idukki and other dams.
  • Pakistan and Russia have signed contract on admission of service members of Pakistan in Russia’s Military Training Institutes. The agreement was signed at conclusion of first meeting of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC), the highest forum of defence collaboration between both countries held in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
  • Pakistani Batsman Nasir Jamshed has been banned for 10 years by Pakistan Cricket Board's Anti Corruption Tribunal for his involvement in the 2017 Pakistan Super League (PSL) spot-fixing scandal.
  • Parliament has passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill,2018. As per the bill, home buyers will get due representation in the Committee of Creditors that takes a call on resolution proposals, making them an integral part of the decision making process.
  • President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018. This bill will prevent offenders from evading legal process and fleeing the country.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation on the 72nd Independence Day, announced that the prestigious public healthcare scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan / Ayushman Bharat Healthcare Scheme will be launched on September 25 this year. The scheme will provide health insurance of ₹5 lakh annually to over 10 crore poor families. This is the world's largest government-funded public healthcare scheme.
  • Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh exempted Ex-servicemen and Senior Citizens from mandatory dope tests for issuance and renewal of arms licences.
  • Punjab government started a ‘Tatkal sewa’ for property registration across the state. Under this scheme, people can seek appointment for ‘tatkal’ (instant) registration for properties for an hour-long slot from 9 am to 10 am, with facilitation charges Rs. 5000.
  • Qatar pledged $15 billion (over ₹1 lakh crore) of investment in Turkey to support the country's economy.
  • Rajasthan became 1st state in India to implement National Policy on Biofuels unveiled by Union Government in May 2018.
  • Rajasthan's Jodhpur railway station was ranked the Cleanest station in the A1 Category in a cleanliness report released by the Ministry of Railways .
  • Ranchi-based software developer Ranjit Srivastava is developing the world's first Hindi-speaking humanoid robot. Named Rashmi, the AI-powered robot can also speak Bhojpuri, Marathi, and English, and is equipped with facial expressions and recognition systems.
  • Rashtriya Sadbhavana Diwas (Harmony day) was observed on 20th August 2018 to commemorate the 72nd birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree establishing a new directorate in the Russian Army to promote Patriotism. Colonel-General Andrei Kartapolov, a Russian Army veteran who previously served in the country's conflict in Syria, will head the directorate.
  • Santali has become the 1st Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its own script.
  • Scotland has become the world's first country to provide free sanitary products to all students in a bid to tackle "period poverty".
  • Search Engine giant Google has rolled out a '3D Globe Mode' on Maps which shows the Earth as a globe rather than a flat "Mercator" projection as before. 
  • Shooters Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar opened India's medal tally at the 2018 Asian Games by winning Bronze in the final of the 10m Air Rifle mixed team event.
  • Social networking giant Facebook has launched “Digital Literacy Library” to help young people build skills they need to safely enjoy online technology.
  • SoftBank Robotics has announced that it has partnered with US-based AI startup Affectiva to train its humanoid robot Pepper to interpret human emotions.
  • Space agency NASA's Curiosity rover completed it's 6th anniversary on Mars.
  • SpaceX rival Arianespace is going to launch three heavy Indian satellites of ISRO over the next 9 months. Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) : K Sivan.
  • SpiceJet successfully completed India's first ever biofuel-powered test flight. The airline flew a Bombardier Q400 aircraft using 75% aviation turbine fuel and 25% biojet fuel from Dehradun to New Delhi.
  • States are going to test a 20% cashback incentive for Digital transactions made through RuPay card and BHIM app on the total GST amount. The cashback or discount would be capped at ₹100 per transaction.
  • Swedish furniture giant IKEA opened its 1st-ever store in India at Hyderabad (Telangana).
  • The 10th edition of the Gay Games recently held in Paris.
  • The 118-year-old Davis Cup tournament will be changed into an 18-team, week-long event after International Tennis Federation (ITF) approved a proposal by a consortium that has pledged support of $3 billion over a 25-year-long duration.
  • The 11th World Hindi Conference was recently held at Mauritian capital Port Louis. Theme of 11th World Hindi Conference : "Hindi World and Indian Culture".
  • The 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) was held in Beijing, China. Theme of 24th WCP 2018 : “Learning To Be Human”.
  • The Andhra Pradesh government signed an MoU with electronics company Holytech, to set up Holytech' plant in 75 acres land in Tirupati and Chittoor districts.
  • The Bombay High Court ruled that Children born out of a second marriage don't have any rights on the family's joint-property. 
  • The Cabinet decided to offer pulses to states at a discount of ₹15 per kilogram over prevailing wholesale prices for schemes such as PDS (Public Distribution System) and mid-day meal.
  • The Central Government, State Government of Rajasthan and World Bank signed $250 million Development Policy Loan (DPL) to support Rajasthan in improving the performance of its Electricity Distribution Sector under State’s 24x7 Power for All program.
  • The Centre announced that Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) cannot file RTI (Right to Information) pleas and seek information on governance from central government departments.
  • The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved US retail giant Walmart's proposed acquisition of Flipkart announced in May this year. Walmart had announced acquiring a 77% stake in Bengaluru-based Flipkart in a $16 billion deal.
  • The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved procurement of 6 indigenously designed and manufactured Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) for Indian Navy. DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest decision-making body on capital procurement of Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force).
  • The Delhi Police inducted an All-female Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team, making it the 1st unit of its kind in the country.
  • The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under Ministry of Commerce and Industry has banned import of Petroleum coke (petcoke) for use as fuel.
  • The FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), the women’s wing of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has launched a mobile application titled WOW (Wellness of Women). Aim of WOW Application : To create awareness on preventive healthcare for women across the country.
  • The first project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme ‘North East Circuit: Imphal and Khongjom’ was inaugurated in Manipur. The project covers two sites i.e. Kangla Fort and Khongjom in Manipur.
  • The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has constituted a 3-member committee to look into the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations 2018. Head of this Committee : B Sesikeran (Former director of National Institute of Nutrition (NIN))
  • The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) initiative to enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel.
  • The government has announced that carrying the original Driving Licence and car's Registration Certificate is not necessary, and a Digital copy saved on the DigiLocker or mParivahan app can be shown while checking by the traffic cops.
  • The government of UK (United Kingdom) has announced new plans to change law for Organ and Tissue donation to address urgent need for organs within Indian-origin communities in the country. This will be known as Max’s Law after Max Johnson, a 10-year-old boy who was saved by a heart transplant.
  • The Home Ministry has issued a directive stating that no ATM will be refilled with cash after 9 pm in cities, 6 pm in rural areas and 4 pm in Naxal-affected areas from 8th February 2019.
  • The Human Resource Development Ministry launched the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) to promote innovation and research in higher education.
  • The Indian Rupee hit a record low of 70 against the US dollar for the first time.
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is announced it plans to launch ISRO TV, a TV channel to promote scientific temper among people and conduct training camps for school students.
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is going to put an Indian astronaut in space in its 1st manned mission by 2022 for at least seven days at a cost of less than ₹10,000 crore.
  • The Indian Women Chess Team clinched the Gold Medal in the Blitz event at the Asian Nations Cup 2018 held in Iran.
  • The International Conference on Recent Advances in Food Processing Technology (iCRAFPT) is being held at Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IFPT), Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. Theme of iCRAFPT 2018 : “Doubling farmers’ income through food processing”.
  • The joint military exercise MILEX-18 will be held at the Foreign Training Node at Aundh Military Station in Pune in September 2018. The armies of all seven BIMSTEC countries (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Myanmar) will be participating in the exercise.
  • The lander of India's second lunar exploration mission 'Chandrayaan-2', scheduled for next year, will be named 'Vikram' in honour of ISRO Founder Vikram Sarabhai.
  • The launch of India's second Moon mission Chandrayaan-2 has been delayed for the second time from October to January 2019.
  • The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have cleared Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018, which proposes death penalty for the rape of girls below the age of 12 years.
  • The Lok Sabha has passed Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to help India become hub for domestic and global arbitration for settling commercial disputes.
  • The Lok Sabha passed the 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill providing for a National Commission for Backward Classes as a constitutional body. The constitutional amendment bill seeks to grant National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC) constitutional status at par with National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCSTs).
  • The Ministry of Health has announced all cigarette and tobacco packs will carry new pictorial warnings including 'Quit ' message from September 1st.
  • The Ministry of HRD has embarked on a major and new initiative Project called 'Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds' (SWAYAM), which will provide one integrated platform and portal for online courses. Objective of SWAYAM : To ensure that the every student in India has access to the best quality higher education at the affordable cost.
  • The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully launched its Parker Solar Probe, aimed to enter the Sun's corona (outer atmosphere), where no spacecraft has gone before.
  • The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched UPI 2.0, an upgraded version of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). With UPI 2.0, customers can now link overdraft account to UPI in addition to current and savings account, and the transaction limit has been doubled to ₹2 lakh.
  • The North and South Koreas   agreed to hold an inter-Korean summit in North's capital Pyongyang in September 2018.
  • The population of Australia hit a record 2.5 crore, almost a decade earlier than projected.
  • The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the ‘One District One Product’ Summit at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. This summit was organized by the Uttar Pradesh government to promote traditional industries in every district of the state.
  • The President of India, Ram NathKovind, inaugurated the ‘Festival of Democracy’ in Thiruvananthapuram to mark the conclusion of the Diamond jubilee (60th anniversary) celebrations of the Kerala legislative assembly.
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) barred Fino Payments Bank from adding new customers since the end of May.
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled licenses of 368 Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in the six months ended June, more than double the number of such cancellations in the whole of 2017, for failing to meet regulatory norms.
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has rejected Kotak Mahindra Bank's plan to dilute promoter Uday Kotak's shareholding by allotting preferential shares.
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s board has approved the transfer of a surplus amount of ₹50,000 crore to the government for the year ended June 30, 2018. Note : The RBI had transferred a surplus of ₹30,659 crore to the government for the fiscal ended June 2017, which was less than half of what it paid in the previous year (₹65,896 crore).
  • The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) arrested Neeraj Singal, Managing Director of Bhushan Steel, for allegedly siphoning bank loans of over ₹2,000 crore.
  • The Supreme Court accepted a proposal seeking to issue hologram-based coloured stickers for vehicles in Delhi based on the fuel used. While petrol and CNG vehicles will need to have a blue sticker. Diesel vehicles must carry an orange sticker.
  • The Tamil Nadu government has issued a directive asking all government and private colleges to ban students from using mobile phones on premises. 
  • The Telangana government launched a first of its kind, Rs.5 lakh insurance programme for farmers in the state titled RythuBandhu Life Insurance Bonds. The scheme is limited to farmers aged between 18 and 60 years.
  • The Telangana State Information Technology, Electronics and Communication department (ITE&C) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian multinational IT provider, Tech Mahindra to launch India’s first Blockchain district.
  • The Turkish lira has become more volatile than world's largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin amid the country's ongoing currency crisis.
  • The Union Cabinet also approved continuation and revision of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Post Matric Scholarship for Other Backward Classes Students for studying in India (PMS-OBC) till 2020. Aim of this scheme : To provide financial assistance to OBC students studying at post-matriculation or post-secondary stage to enable them to complete their education.
  • The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Indonesia on Health Cooperation and Scientific and Technological Cooperation.
  • The Union Cabinet gave its approval to the government’s decision to reduce its stake in IDBI Bank below 50%, with Life Insurance Corporation raising stake in the bank to 51%.
  • The Union Cabinet has approved a hike in Dearness Allowance to central government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners from 7% to 9% with effect from July 1, 2018.
  • The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan, laid the foundation stone for permanent campus of National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) for Women at Mohali, Punjab.
  • The Union Ministry of Agriculture has written to United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) proposing declaration of year 2019 as “International Year of Millets”.
  • The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has proposed to set up 5-member committee to suggest changes to JEE (Advanced) in the wake of an inadequate number of candidates qualifying entrance test this year. Head of This Committee : Bhaskar Ramamurthy (Director of IIT-Madras).
  • The Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank in Hyderabad (Telanagana). It is India’s first genetic resource bank where genetic material will be stored for posterity which will further the cause of conservation of endangered and protected animals.
  • The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has begun a 3-month visa amnesty program which allows illegal foreign workers to legalise their status in the country or return home.
  • The United States and Mexico reached a deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the 'United States-Mexico Trade Agreement'.
  • The United States has imposed preliminary anti-dumping duties on metal pipes imported from India, China, Canada and three other countries.
  • The US Congress has passed National Defense Authorisation Act-2019 (NDAA-19),  a Defence spending bill capping its security-related aid to Pakistan at 150 Million dollars, significantly below the level of more than one billion US dollars per year.
  • The US Senate passed a bill National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2019. This bill waives sanctions against India for buying Russian arms.
  • The Uttar Pradesh government has approached the Centre for its approval to rename Bareilly Airport to 'Nath Nagri'. 'Nath Nagri' is believed to be an ancient name of the city which had worshippers of Lord Shiva.
  • The value of China's stock market fell to $6.09 trillion, losing its spot as the second biggest stock market to Japan ($6.17 trillion).
  • The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu released a Book titled ‘Bebak Baat’. This book has been authored by Vijay Goel (Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Statistics & Programme Implementation).
  • The White House has confirmed that India has invited US President Donald Trump to be the Chief Guest for Republic Day parade 2019. However, no decision on the matter has been taken yet,.
  • The World Bank has mandated the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to arrange the first bond globally to be created, allocated, transferred and managed using Blockchain technology. World Bank aims to raise up to $73 million through the two-year bond.
  • The World Bank mandated Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to issue world’s first blockchain-based bond. The Kangaroo bond, referring to foreign bonds issued in Australia in local currency, has been named bond-i, an acronym standing for Blockchain Offered New Debt Instrument.
  • The world’s first-ever Thermal battery plant was inaugurated in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh.
  • To boost local production, the government doubled the Import Duty on as many as 328 textile products to 20%.
  • To end the 5 year Civil War, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and rebel opposition leader Riek Machar have signed a peace deal to share power in a transitional government. South Sudan’s civil war erupted in December 2013 between supporters of Kiir and his then-deputy Machar. Tens of thousands have died in the war.
  • To help solve India's mobility issues, NITI Aayog has launched a global mobility hackathon 'Move Hack'. The organization will recognize the top 10 winners, with a total prize of over ₹2 crore.
  • To help the domestic Solar Cell manufacturing sector, the Union Government has imposed safeguard duty of 25% on import of Solar Cells (whether or not assembled in modules or panels) from China and Malaysia.
  • To reduce video game and social media addiction among teens, the Malaysian government is going to ban internet from 12 am to 6 am daily for teenagers under 17 years of age.
  • Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launched an overdraft (OD) facility for micro and small enterprise (MSE) customers (turnover over 50 lakh ), as an add-on product to existing MSE term loans offered by bank.
  • Union Government has announced that it has reached target of providing 5 crore free LPG connections under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) almost eight months ahead of schedule (i.e. in 27 months instead of 35 months)
  • Union Government has constituted 4-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to decide on 16-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations. Head of this GoM : Suresh Prabhu  (Union Minister of Commerce and Industry)
  • Union Government, NABARD and National Water Development Agency (NWDA) have signed revised Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for funding of central share of 99 prioritized irrigation projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) through Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF).
  • Union Minister for Oil and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Odia edition of the book ‘Exam Warriors’ written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
  • Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched Niryat Mitra mobile application for exporters and importers of the country. The app provides wide range of information required to undertake international trade right from policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives, tariff, preferential tariff, market access requirements – SPS and TBT measures.
  • Union Ministry of Culture launched Seva Bhoj Yojna, a new scheme to provide financial assistance on purchase of specific food items by Charitable Religious Institutions (CRIs) for free distribution among people.
  • United States (US) State Department has announced creation of Iran Action Group (IAG) to execute President Donald Trump administration’s Iran strategy and pressure country to change its behaviors.
  • United States has announced to grant $39 million as part its foreign military financing to Sri Lanka to boost maritime security.
  • US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged nearly $300 million in security funding for Southeast Asia at the US-ASEAN ministerial meeting in Singapore.
  • Uttarakhand is going to become the 1st state to give identity cards to gau rakshaks (cow protectors).
  • Varanasi and Delhi are among 14 Indian cities dubbed most polluted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on account of the air quality measured in terms of particulate matter (PM) at the high level of 2.5. Other cities in this category are : Jaipur, Jodhpur, Srinagar, Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Lucknow, Agra, Gurgaon, Patiala and Muzaffarpur.
  • Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has devalued the Bolivar (Venezuelan currency) by 95% ahead of the roll-out of a new bolivar. The new currency will be called the 'Sovereign bolivar' and will be based on the country’s Petro cryptocurrency, now valued around $60 or 3,600 sovereign bolivars.
  • WhatsApp is going to open up its first India office in Hyderabad .
  • World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) was observed from 1st to 7th August 2018. Theme of World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) 2018 : "Breastfeeding: Foundation Of Life".
  • Zimbabwe’s President and leader of the ruling Zanu-PF party, Emmerson Mnangagwa,  has won the country’s historic Presidential election.
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